The Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale checks in on symptoms of depression over the past week. Answer 18 questions to see your score, what it means, and what to try next.
18 questions about the past week, about three minutes.
For each statement, choose how well it describes you during the past week, including today.
Your answers stay in your browser and are not sent to us or saved. You don’t need to give your name or email.
About this scale
The Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) was developed by Mark Zimmerman and colleagues at Brown University as a quick, practical way to measure depression and follow it over time. It covers the symptoms used to describe a major depressive episode: mood, interest, appetite, sleep, energy, guilt, concentration and thoughts of death, plus how much these have got in the way of your life and how your life feels overall.
Reading your score
Each answer scores from 0 to 4, so totals run from 0 to 72. The bands are the cut-offs recommended by Zimmerman and colleagues (2008).
| Score | Result |
|---|---|
| 0–10 | In the non-depressed range over the past week. |
| 11–20 | Minimal depressive symptoms over the past week. |
| 21–30 | Mild depression over the past week. |
| 31–45 | Moderate depression over the past week. |
| 46–72 | Severe depression over the past week. |
A score describes how things have been for you recently. It can’t diagnose anything on its own, but it is a useful way to notice change and a good starting point for a conversation with a counsellor or your GP.
Source: Zimmerman, M., Chelminski, I., McGlinchey, J. B., & Posternak, M. A. (2008). A clinically useful depression outcome scale. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 49(2), 131–140.